Swirl reducing gas turbine engine recuperator

Abstract

A gas turbine engine recuperator recuperator including exhaust passages providing fluid flow communication between an exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet, the exhaust inlet being oriented to receive exhaust flow from a turbine of the engine and the exhaust outlet being oriented to deliver the exhaust flow to atmosphere, the exhaust passages having an arcuate profile in a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the recuperator to reduce a swirl of the exhaust flow. Air passages are in heat exchange relationship with the exhaust passages and providing fluid flow communication between an air inlet and an air outlet, design to sealingly respective plenum of the gas turbine engine.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A recuperator configured to extend within an exhaust duct of a gas turbine engine, the recuperator comprising:
 exhaust passages providing fluid flow communication between an exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet, the exhaust inlet being oriented to receive exhaust flow from a turbine of the engine and the exhaust outlet being oriented to deliver the exhaust flow to atmosphere, the exhaust passages having an arcuate profile in a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the recuperator to reduce a swirl of the exhaust flow, the arcuate profile defining a curve having a concave side facing a same circumferential direction from adjacent the exhaust inlet to adjacent the exhaust outlet and the arcuate profile configured to direct the exhaust flow in an arcuate direction from the exhaust inlet to the exhaust outlet; 
 air passages in heat exchange relationship with the exhaust passages and providing fluid flow communication between an air inlet and an air outlet; 
 an inlet connection member defining the air inlet and being designed to sealingly engage a first plenum in fluid flow communication with a compressor discharge of the gas turbine engine; 
 an outlet connection member defining the air outlet and being designed to sealingly engage a second plenum containing a combustor of the gas turbine engine; and 
 circumferential splitters extending upstream from the exhaust inlet of the recuperator and curved in the plane perpendicular to the central axis of the recuperator to reduce the swirl of the exhaust flow. 
 
     
     
       2. The recuperator as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the recuperator is a plate heat exchanger. 
     
     
       3. The recuperator as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the air and exhaust passages are relatively oriented such as to define a mixed counter flow and double pass cross flow heat exchanger. 
     
     
       4. The recuperator as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the splitters are oriented progressively from an axial or substantially axial direction at an upstream end thereof to a radial or substantially radial direction at a downstream end thereof with respect to a center line of the recuperator. 
     
     
       5. The recuperator as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the recuperator comprises a plurality of identical and independent arcuate segments. 
     
     
       6. A gas turbine engine comprising:
 a compressor section having a discharge in fluid flow communication with a first plenum; 
 a combustor contained in a second plenum; 
 a turbine section in fluid flow communication with the combustor; 
 an exhaust duct in fluid flow communication with the turbine section; and 
 a recuperator located in the exhaust duct, the recuperator defining: 
 exhaust passages providing fluid flow communication between an exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet, the exhaust inlet and exhaust outlet extending across the exhaust duct with the exhaust inlet being in fluid flow communication with the turbine section, the exhaust passages having an arcuate profile in a plane perpendicular to a central axis of the recuperator to reduce a swirl of the exhaust flow,
 air passages in heat exchange relationship with the exhaust passages and providing fluid flow communication between an air inlet and an air outlet, 
 an inlet connection member defining the air inlet and sealingly engaging the first plenum to receive pressurized air from the compressor, 
 an outlet connection member defining the air outlet and sealingly engaging the second plenum containing the combustor, and 
 circumferential splitters extending within the exhaust duct upstream of the exhaust inlet, the splitters being curved in the plane perpendicular to the central axis of the recuperator, the splitters supported by radially extending struts having an asymmetrical airfoil shape twisted to reduce the swirl of the exhaust flow. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The gas turbine engine as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the recuperator is a plate heat exchanger. 
     
     
       8. The gas turbine engine as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the air and exhaust passages are relatively oriented such as to define a mixed counter flow and double pass cross flow heat exchanger. 
     
     
       9. The gas turbine engine as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the splitters extend from the exhaust inlet and form part of the recuperator. 
     
     
       10. The gas turbine engine as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the splitters are oriented progressively from an axial or substantially axial direction at an upstream end thereof to a radial or substantially radial direction at a downstream end thereof with respect to a center line of the recuperator. 
     
     
       11. The gas turbine engine as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the recuperator has a shape substantially conforming to that of the exhaust duct. 
     
     
       12. The gas turbine engine as defined in  claim 6 , wherein the recuperator comprises a plurality of identical and independent arcuate segments.